eBay View About Me for zenjen

"Find a job you like and you add five days to every week." -- -H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

So how did this English major end up selling on eBay? I first went overseas with the intention of purchasing some items for resale but, almost by accident, met two terrific men who were wholesale exporters and it all just continued on from there. Long story short -- I feel I have been gifted the occupation of my dreams.

"Live the questions." -- Rilke

My other passion? Health! Before I started selling on Ebay in '99 I spent most of the previous decade in bed with a chronic illness of unknown origin. I spent 3 years on the internet in an attempt to educate myself and to finally understand the factors that led to my illness and am happy to say I am doing much better. I would like very much to share this information (another writing project -- but when?!) with anyone who is chronically ill (CFS, environmental illness etc) and in need of help. Mercury toxicity, allergies (food allergies especially), fatigue and general nutrition are my specialties. The first two links below lead to the sites that are good references -- the third is just for fun. First rule of recovery -- if you can't laugh, you'll never get better! (But please, read on before you click!)

Nutritional Deficiency Symptoms Magnesium and Health Supermodel Quotes

And now, just a "little" more about that "harmless" silver stuff in our teeth.

In 1848 the ASDS (American Society of Dental Surgeons) banned the use of Hg (mercury) as it was a dangerous poison (1). This led to the formation of the American Dental Association(ADA) as a trade association, which promoted amalgam fillings. The ADA is on record as stating that as a trading association it knows no legal duty of care to protect the public (2), and also stated that any dentist removing Hg for health care can be suspended. The German for mercury is quackenslaver (quicksilver). It was used to treat the sick, and those doing it, once the dangers were understood, came to be known as "quacksalvers" or "quacks". (2).

1.Dr.Morton Walker: Parents, TOWNSEND LETTER, June 2000.
2.Mr.Bill Sturgeon: TOWNSEND LETTER, p.118, 120, June 1999.
______________________________________

Yes, they are still putting mercury in fillings -- most are approximately half mercury -- and in the 70's they added the copper alloys back into the mix which allow the mercury to leach 50 times as fast. The ADA has a gag-order preventing destists from discussing with their patients the risks of amalgam fillings. But the facts are: Mercury is in the amalgam fillings and it is a neuro-toxin. The FDA's recognized "safe level" of mercury in the body is 5000 times less than that of lead, which means, by their definition, mercury is 5000 times more toxic than lead. Every day, children all over this country have the most toxic non-radioactive substance on the planet pressed into their teeth -- they, given their low weight, are especially vulnerable to the effects of mercury.

The most common effects of mercury are: damage to the short-term memory, impulsive and/or agressive behavior, neurological dysfunction and severe mood swings. The incidence of ADD, school violence, road rage, Autism, MS, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Fibromyalgia and Alzheimers, have increased dramatically in the last few decades. Mercury was found in the cerebrospinal fluid of MS patients, at levels eight times higher than in the neurologically healthy controls and experiments have shown there are higher concentrations of mercury in the autopsied brains of patients who died of Alzheimer than are present in the brains of patients who did not have Alzheimer. In one study, 15 Alzheimer's patients returned to normal functioning after receiving chelation therapy. I had 10 large amalgam fillings 5 years ago. I got an 8.3 on a scale from 1-9 on a DMSA chelation test for mercury burden. I was falling down stairs and running into walls. I could hardly lift my arms above my head. I suffered from extreme depression. I started following a protocol for mercury toxicity and those symptoms are gone. Here are some proven facts about mercury...

The amount of mercury in one good-sized filling is enough, if it were in a small pond, to justify a "no-fishing" advisory. The amount in one filling exceeds the EPA's max. recommended intake for 100 years. The amount of mercury in one filling equals the amount in one mercury thermometer. If you break a mercury thermometer in your bathroom and report it the people who come to clean it up will be wearing sealed suits. (They took Mercurochrome off the shelves -- remember that? Ever wonder why?)
Dentists have the highest suicide rate of any occupation -- higher than police officers.
"The first case of MS was diagnosed in Paris 1832, and the first amalgam was placed in Paris 1832." -- Hal Huggins, D.D.S. MS is caused by lesions on the brain. Mercury causes lesions on the brain.
It is illegal for a dentist to remove an amalgam filling from a patient and put it in a regular trash basket. It is considered hazardous waste (when removed from our mouths, but not while it's in). He could be fined for placing it on a shelf.
In pregnant women mercury does cross the placenta and reaches the fetus' developing brain and yes -- it finds its way into the breast milk also. That which doesn't lodge in our soft tissues ends up in the water supply.
The largest class-action suit in Canadian history, filed in 1996, concerned the use of mercury in amalgam fillings. They are now recommending against the use of amalgam in children and in pregnant women in that country. The UK countries are aware of the dangers and the Swedes and the Germans have already reduced or eliminated the use of amalgam. There have been a few small class-action suits in this country. Dentists are challenging the ADA's rule in Federal Court in Maryland based on the first amendment and the good people of Deluth, Minnesota have voted to ban the use of amalgam in their fine city -- YAY DULUTH!
The dentist who first confirmed for me that mercury might be the source of my health problems ("off the record") had just seen a woman with full-blown MS make nearly a complete recovery in a matter of months after he removed her amalgam fillings, and after I was well enough to write and tell him about my experience he stopped using amalgam in his practice.

How does mercury get out of the fillings and into your system?
Your teeth are alive, they are comprised of living tissue. The mercury escapes from the fillings in the following ways:
Corrosion - deterioration through electrochemical reactions between different metals in the saliva leading to weak electric currents. The same type of processes that occur in the metals of cars in the presence of moisture and is called "rust". Even solitary fillings corrode. When in contact with gold or other precious metals amalgam fillings corrode more easily and give off higher quantities of mercury. Avoid acidic foods.
Evaporation. Mercury is the only metal which evaporates at room temperature. Mercury vapor evaporates from amalgam fillings, in particular when the surface is abraded by chewing. It takes at least an hour before the increased release of mercury stops after chewing. The mercury vapor mixes with inhaled air. The vapor enters the body through the lungs and the mucous membranes and spreads throughout the entire body, including the brain.
Abrasion. The amalgam fillings are abraded by chewing. Amalgam particles get swallowed. Avoid crunchy foods, chewing gum etc...

If you are afflicted by some of these symptoms you may be mercury poisoned:
Extreme fatigue, dizziness, vertigo, headache/migraine, stiffness and ache in muscles and joints, clumsiness, blurred vision, double vision, impaired coordination of eyes and muscles, increased heart palpations without external cause, frequent infections of the urinary system, frequent sinusitis, prone to infections, menstrual disturbances (severe PMS), anxiety attacks, depressions, mood swings and irritability, lack of patience, rage, impulsiveness or compulsiveness, shyness, lack of initiative teeth grinding/clenching or jerking when falling asleep.
Other common symptoms: Allergies, asthma, eczema, hair loss, weight loss, partial loss of hearing and smell, metallic taste in the mouth, tinnitus (ear-ringing), impaired short-term memory, difficulties with concentration and thinking, restlessness, nervousness, sleeping disturbances, constipation/diarrhea, numbness, cramps, weak muscles, fluctuating body temperature, increased sensitivity to electromagnetic radiation (itching when you're on the phone or near the computer) or to light or sound.

Things to remember:
Don't have your fillings replaced with composite fillings by anyone other than a mercury-free dentist who knows how to remove amalgam fillings safely and don't remove too many too fast. You will get a mercury "hit" no matter how safely they are removed and that is very hard on the body so minimizing the damage is key.
If your dentist tells you this is some crack-pot fringe movement -- get a new dentist!
The half-life of mercury in the body is 40 years. Once it's in you, it's hell getting it out, but it can be done. Find support, find a doctor who gets it, who will guide you through the detox process slowly and safely. I still have problems when I get too stressed and I don't respond well to extreme temperatures. My supplements are essential to my ability to function.

"The ADA is fighting a rear guard action to keep the public from learning that dentists, by use of mercury-silver amalgam fillings for decades, have poisoned more than 85 per cent of our population. The ADA has covered up its culpability in the same way breast implant and cigarette manufacturers deny disease connection to those products. Potential economic liability to amalgam manufacturers, their distributors, dentists and the ADA is incalculable."
-om Warren.

"Three thousand doctors of the Toxicology Society came together at a medical conference in Seattle, Washington, several years ago to condemn mercury-silver amalgam fillings. Their revelations should have made banner front page headlines all around the world. Just three short stories appeared in the Press."

--Tom Warren

"The ADA owes no legal duty of care to protect the public from allegedly dangerous products used by dentists..Dissemination of information relating to the practice of dentistry does not create a duty of care to protect the public from potential injury."----ADA lawyers.

In 1996 a student doing a thesis on dental amalgam was rung by the Chief medical Officer of the European Commission (in reply to her letter). After his expected defense of amalgam she disagreed with everything he said and stated why there was a world wide conspiracy about the amalgam issue: 1) Millions of people around the world will rush forward holding amalgam responsible for many ailments and start to sue their dentists. 2) Practically every dentist would have to be retrained and many would collapse. 3) Insurance companies would be wiped out overnight. She said it just boiled down to money and the avoidance of a financial catastrophe. There was a complete shocked silence at his end and then...HE AGREED WITH HER.

The ADA, and the majority of dentists, say amalgam is fine because it has been in use for 150 years. We have abandoned other remnants of pre-Civil War medicine, and we have abandoned all other uses of Mercury. It is no longer a question of if, but when. Protect yourself, your family, your friends. Please spread the word. And if you can, write the ADA a letter and tell them the time has come!

The American Dental Association
211 E. Chicago Ave. Chicago, IL 60611
312/440-2500
Fax: 312/440-2800

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, (but do know more about the effects of mercury than most of them!) The information above was collected as a result of the research I've done over the last few years. I cannot diagnose or treat any disease but I can share with you what I've learned and what has worked for me.

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